Show ContentsMinnehan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Many variations of the name Minnehan have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Manachain, which is derived from the word "manach," which means "monk." 1

Early Origins of the Minnehan family

The surname Minnehan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Minnehan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minnehan research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1798 is included under the topic Early Minnehan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minnehan Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Minnehan can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Monaghan, Monahan, Monagham, Monahon, Monagan, Mongan, Monaugher, Monck and many more.

Early Notables of the Minnehan family

More information is included under the topic Early Minnehan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Minnehan migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Minnehan:

Minnehan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Kate Minnehan, aged 34, who arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Teutonic" from Liverpool, England 2
  • James Minnehan, aged 38, originally from Toronto, Canada, who arrived in New York in 1910 aboard the ship "Trinidad" from Quebec, Canada 2
  • John Minnehan, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Manham" from Lisbon, Portugal 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Minnehan (post 1700) +

  • Daniel Joseph "Dan" Minnehan (1865-1929), American Major League Baseball player who played for the Louisville Colonels in 1895


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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